Bad Wolves
by ephemeralelysabeth
Summary: "Liberty for wolves is death to the lambs." Instead of becoming a prisoner to her curse, Astrid finds liberation in a world she never knew existed, in the family that saved her, and in the man she loves. Jeremy/OC
1. I

"Liberty for wolves is death to the lambs."  
**Isaiah Berlin**

The house was much bigger than I had expected, not that I even knew what to expect. I didn't know what to expect out of anything anymore with this new life I'd been given, if you could even call it a life. For the first time in months, I was dressed in something other than the dregs of an old voodoo priestess, Miss Yaruba. Not that I wasn't thankful for those dregs...because it was better than the alternative. Naked, afraid, and alone, unable to control what form I stayed in. It took weeks with the Yaruba before we understood that it was connected to my emotions. I do imagine the wilderness here in upstate New York is more bearable than that of the bayous in Zachary, Louisiana but hopefully I'll never have to go back to that life. I wanted so desperately to just get back to my reality, to make a normal life if I was able to ever get back home but it just wasn't possible. No one would understand where I had been and I certainly couldn't explain it to them. My only option was this place, Stonehaven, Miss Yaruba called it. I find myself missing her. I think about her every day and the kindness she showed me. If I can ever find some semblance of normalcy, I'd like to go back and thank her, but now I need to push her to the back of mind. I know allowing my thoughts to drift right now is just a way of avoiding what I need to do...and that's knock on the door.

* * *

"It's a wolf, I can smell it." Elena said rushing down the stairs. "But it's not a scent I recognize."

"Do you think it's another mutt coming here to challenge Jeremy?" Nick asked being interrupted by a set of knocks.

Clay brought his finger up to his mouth and motioned for Elena and Nick to get behind the door before he opened it. He didn't know what to expect on the other side of that door. He assumed it would be another mutt coming to stake a claim for Jeremy's territory but he never expected to see this – to see her. Another female werewolf.

"Hi," the unfamiliar face said with a tremble in her voice. "I'm Astrid. I was told this may be a safe haven for werewolves."

"Who told you that?" Clay asked, already jumping to conclusions that this was somehow a trap. It had to be. There were no other female werewolves besides Elena – at least not that they were aware of.

"I don't even know her name," Astrid said her voice still shaky. She didn't want to lie to these people who could supposedly help her but she wasn't going to take a chance and put Miss Yaruba in danger.

"I was taken in by a woman, a voodoo priestess, in New Orleans."

Clay stood there in disbelief. Another female wolf. From Louisiana. From his home. Something about this wasn't right and the whole situation made him uneasy.

"Clay, let her in." Elena said snapping him back to reality.

He begrudgingly moved to the side and let her pass. She was truly a wolf. He could smell it on her and he knew there was no way to fake wolf scent.

"Nick, I think you should go get Jeremy. He needs to see this," Elena said.

"I'm so sorry to just show up here," Astrid interrupted. "I thought about going home, back to my old life but I knew there would be too many questions I couldn't answer. If I had anywhere else to go, I would have."

"You made the right decision," Jeremy said as he entered the room.

He could smell the new wolf before he ever entered the room but he was taken aback to find another female wolf in their midst. He still couldn't understand what about Elena allowed her to successfully change and now there were two. He stood there looking her up and down in disbelief. Nothing about her stood out that would make any sense as to why she was able to change when so many others had tried and failed.

"Forgive me," Jeremy said as he extended his hand out for hers. "I'm being terribly rude. I'm Jeremy Danvers. Alpha of the North American pack."

"I see you've met my son, Clay and his fiance Elena. This is Nick Sorrentino, a close family friend,"

Astrid reluctantly shook his hand. She was still wary of every one she met. She didn't trust anyone anymore but she really didn't trust werewolves.

Jeremy noticed the shift in her body language when he reached for her hand and took note that she wasn't comfortable near them nor was she a threat, which was a weight off his shoulders. He didn't want to have to hurt, let alone kill the only other living female werewolf.

"I can see you need rest, Elena take her to your old room and make her comfortable," Jeremy said. "Please, rest. You are safe here. We can talk more in the morning after you've had a good nights sleep."

Elena led Astrid up to her old room and showed her where everything was. Even if she couldn't smell the fear it was written all over Astrid's face even when it was just the two of them alone. Elena couldn't imagine what she'd been through before she found them but she knew it wasn't good.

"Listen, I know right now you have no reason to believe me but I promise you're safe here,"

Astrid took a second to find the right words before responding.

"I do believe you and I'm sorry if I am coming across differently. I've had a very rough few months and I just haven't quite been able to calm down and unbox what has happened to me," She wanted Elena to know she was grateful for them allowing her into their home but she's still reeling from what has happened.

"You've been out there for months on your own? Not knowing what was happening? It's a miracle that you survived even that,"

"I was alone for almost a month before the woman I mentioned earlier found me,"

"How did she find you, if you don't mind me asking"

"It's a bit of a long story, would it be okay if we talked more after I've had some sleep?" Astrid hoped she would understand and hoped it would buy her some time to come up with something that will protect Miss Yaruba.

"Of course. Sorry for prying. Get some rest tonight and come down and join us whenever you're ready in the morning."


	2. II

Astrid awoke to the sun shining bright in the window and to find her belongings from her car brought in and placed in the room with her.

"I really must have been out if I didn't even notice something coming in." she thought to herself.

She pulled a pair of black track pants and a matching sweatshirt out of her bag, quickly got herself dressed and sat back down in bed. She wished she could spend all day there but she knew she couldn't put off having to face the Danvers' any longer. On top of that she was so hungry that it was starting to cause her physical pain, one of the many new side effects of her newfound lifestyle.

Downstairs she found Jeremy alone in the kitchen. She wondered where everyone else was.

"Good afternoon," Jeremy said greeting her. "Clay, Elena, and Nick have stepped out so it's just you and I."

Being alone with Jeremy made her nervous but at the same time something about him was very comforting. She felt he truly was a decent man but she found it so hard to trust anyone anymore.

"Afternoon? I am so sorry, I hadn't even realized that I slept so long,"

"No need to apologize, I could tell you were exhausted. You have clearly been through so much,"

"The sad thing is, I don't feel near as rested as I should having had so much sleep," she said sitting at the table across from Jeremy.

"Sleep won't help when it's your soul that is tired," he said reaching out for her hand, giving it a light squeeze to say he understood. She didn't recoil as much this time which made him feel better. She must know they mean her no harm.

"You must be starving. Let me make you something to eat."

"No, thank you. I don't want to impose," she said despite being starving.

"I insist," Jeremy said getting up to make her something. As the alpha, waiting on others isn't something he would normally do but he wants to make sure Astrid knows that he isn't someone she needs to fear.

She sat there quietly still trying to take in everything that has happened. After her first change she found her mind constantly drifting to dark places. She found the will to live harder and harder to find. She didn't know if it was side effect of what had happened or if she just hated what she'd become that much.

"I need to ask you something," Jeremy asked giving her a much needed interruption from her dark thoughts. "Can you tell me anything about the wolf that bit you or how it happened? I need to see if we can figure out who did this and maybe find out why you were able to change,"

"I'll be honest with you, I don't remember much. After being attacked I climbed a tree as high as I could to get away. I stayed there so long frozen in fear that my first change happened while I was still in the tree,"

Jeremy could tell where this story was going and it broke his heart. This poor girl has gone through so much since being bitten that he himself doesn't understand how she's survived. Mentally or physically.

"I fell several feet and hit my head, so my memories are hazy at best. I'm sorry, I really wish I had more to tell you."

"No need to be sorry. You've been through so much, I can only imagine how you must feel,"

Just then they were interrupted as Clay, Nick, and Elena came rushing in all looking extremely concerned.

"Jeremy, we have a situation you need to see." Nick said. "And I think it's best you come alone,"

"Please, sit, enjoy your meal. We'll pick this back up when I return."

Astrid sat at the kitchen table eating the food that had been prepared for her. With no one around she devoured all the food on her plate. When she was finished she was still hungry but not enough to fix herself something more. She didn't want to run the risk of being rude.

Instead she wandered around the house. She stuck only to the common areas as she didn't want to come off as a snoop either. She was becoming less wary of her new acquaintance but she wasn't quite ready  
to let her guard down just yet.

While perusing a bookshelf in the office she picked up a book on anthropology noticing the author to be Clayton Danvers.

"Wow, so he's more than just a pretty face," she said aloud to herself.

"Well that would depend on who you're asking," a voice said catching her off guard. She didn't understand how someone could've snuck up on her without noticing. She could smell that he was also a wolf but she had no idea who he was.

"It appears our alpha Jeremy has been keeping another secret," he said closing the gap between them with just a few strides.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Astrid said taking a step back trying to create space between her and the stranger again. Something about this guy didn't sit right with her but she didn't know what yet. He was dressed well enough in a black suit but something about him was off.

.That there is yet another female werewolf in our midst: He said stepping forward again."

He was so close now that she had nowhere to go. He had her backed against a wall, literally. He reached out and stroked her cheek.

"You're not a pleasant to look at as Elena but you just might have to do," the stranger said with a smile. "And they clearly don't keep you as protected."

"Please," she said feeling nausea grow as she became more uneasy. "Leave me alone. I'm of no use to you, I don't know anything. I just got here yesterday."

He laughed a little at her comment.

"I don't need you for your knowledge. Although, just out of curiousity...would you tell me if you knew anything?"

"Honestly?" Astrid could feel the anger brewing inside her and in a brash moment of bravery she answered. "No. I wouldn't."

"Ah, glad to see there's some fire in there. Unfortunately our meeting will have to be cut short as we have guests coming."

"Until next time," he said kissing her hand.

The man turned and left as quickly and quietly as he entered causing shivers down Astrid's spine.

A few moments later Clay, Jeremy, Elena and Nick returned from wherever they had been. Before she could even say anything Clay had her pinned against the wall with his arm at her throat.

"Do you want to explain to me why Daniel Santos' just ran out here with a quickness? Or why the day after you show up a dead kid ends up on our property?" He said tightening his grip "But I'd really like you start by explaining why Daniel Santos was sneaking around while we wre gone."

"Clay, step back." Jeremy said sternly. "I'm fairly certain she's not involved in what's happening here."

Clay took a reluctant step back still unsure of their guest but unwilling to defy his Alpha. Elena gave him a nod that she meant she understood what he was feeling.

"Astrid, what can you tell us about what happened while we were gone?" Jeremy asked.

"He just walked in and started talking about how you were keeping secret another female werewolf. He never even told me his name. He did say I'd be seeing him again, but I swear it was the first time I'd ever seen him."

"I don't think she's lying," Elena interjected.

Nick agreed and they stood there silently for a moment waiting for Jeremy to decide what to do next.

"Astrid. You're welcome to stay here, with us, but if you choose to do so, I need you to pledge your allegiance to the pack. I know you don't know what that entails yet and I understand if you choose not to but you what you need to understand is that we are at war and we can't take any chances with outsiders right now. I need to know you're with us and that we can count on you to do your part when the time comes. What do you say? Do you pledge allegiance to the pack? To me."


End file.
